John William “Bill” Enscore

John William “Bill” Enscore, 84, passed away on 26 January 2015 after an extended cardiopulmonary illness. Born on 12 June 1930, Bill was one of ten children born to the late Harley Emery Enscore and Adelaide Douglas Enscore of Winston Salem, NC.

Bill is survived by his wife of 56 years, Betty Frances Nichols Enscore, of Durham, NC, as well as his son and daughter-in-law, Russell and Melanie Enscore of Fort Collins, Colorado; his daughter and granddaughter Melody Enscore and Isabella Enscore of Mebane, NC; and three grandsons (Ben Enscore, Tyler Enscore, and Andrew Enscore [and wife Mackenzie] of Fort Collins). Bill is also survived by two sisters, Judy Enscore Crotts (and husband Charles Crotts) of Winston Salem, NC, and Linda Enscore Pepper of Salisbury, NC, and by a multitude of cherished nieces and nephews (and grand-nieces and nephews)on both sides of his family. He also leaves behind many wonderful longtime friends who made his life even fuller. Bill was predeceased by his parents and by 3 brothers (James Enscore, Harley Enscore, Jr., and Wayne Enscore) and 4 sisters (Edna Enscore, Katherine Enscore Holder, Doris Enscore, and Juanita Enscore Cromer). Bill served in the U.S. army, and was stationed in Germany and Korea during the early 1950s. He attended NC State University and Mars Hill College, and subsequently worked for 36 years with the research and development faculty within the Department of Physics at Duke University in Durham, NC. During the early 1960s, Bill accompanied a Duke Physics research team to UC-Berkeley for a year to progress the development of one of the earliest mainframe computer systems.

Bill also was one of the original founders and the first president of the Oak Grove Athletic Association, and a founder and member of the board of directors of the Bethesda Volunteer Fire Department in Durham, NC. He was a past president of the Oak Grove Ruritan Club. He served on the local school board when his children were in school and coached little league baseball. Bill also served as a past deacon at Olive Branch Baptist Church in Durham.

Services will be held on Friday, 30 January 2015 at 2:00 pm at Olive Branch Baptist Church in Durham, NC. His family will also welcome friends and extended family at Howerton-Bryan Funeral Home in Durham from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, 29 January 2015.

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Pallbearers will be his three grandsons, as well as Garland Walker, Charles Crotts, and Larry Currin.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider honorary donations to Duke Hospice (Hock Family Pavilion) in Durham, where Bill was cared for with great comppassion, to any of the civic organizations mentioned above, or to a charity of your choice that reflects the Bill that you knew and loved.